A ROTARY club in Worcester has given £7,000 to charities in the city.

At an event held at Worcester Cricket Club, the Worcester South Rotary Club handed seven local charities a cheque for £1,000 each.

The money, proceeds from the Rotary club's Dragon Boat Festival last year and other activities, will help Acorn's Children's Trust, Maggs Day Centre, Worcestershire Life Education centres, St Richard's Hospice, MotoV8, the Worcestershire Association for the Blind and the Noah's Ark trust.

The Dragon Boat Festival, now an annual event, was a big successin 2007, despite being postponed in July because of bad river conditions on the Severn in Worcester.

Sarah Jeffery, from Maggs Day Centre said: "We're very grateful to Worcester South Rotary Club for supporting us once again.

"Its generous gift of £1,000 will enable us to continue to help our clients find a house, a job and a place in the community. £1,000 provides hot breakfasts and lunches for 10 full weeks. On behalf of all at Maggs Day Centre, thank you Rotary Club."

Jenny Gage, chief officer for Worcestershire Association for the Blind said it would provide information and services for people with sight impairment across the county.

She said: "It costs about £1,000 per day to provide these essential services. We rely on donations to continue our vital work and we are incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of the Worcester Rotary Clubs."

David Scott, chairman of fund-raising for Worcester South Rotary Club said: "It's quite a lot of work to raise this sort of money, but when our nominated charities tell us how much it's appreciated and what our money can do, it really gives you a warm feeling inside and then it's all worth it."

This year's WSRC Dragon Boat Festival will be held on Sunday, July 6. For more information visit www.wsrc dragonboatfestival.co.uk